Comparing the U.S. economy to a house on shifting sands, President Barack Obama has appealed to the U.S. financial industry to support reforms he describes as vital to avoiding another economic collapse. The president spoke in New York.
美国总统奥巴马星期四在纽约对华尔街金融部门主管讲话时把美国经济比做建在流沙上的房子，他要求美国金融业支持金融改革。奥巴马形容金融改革对避免经济再次崩溃至关重要。
Aiming his appeal directly at the financial industry and skeptics within it, and at Republican critics in Congress, the president warned of the danger of a repeat of economic collapse.
奥巴马在讲话中直接针对金融业和该行业内部持怀疑态度的人以及国会中的共和党批评人士提出上述要求，并警告说美国经济存在再次崩溃的危险。
Calling the financial crisis the outcome of a failure of responsibility from Wall Street to Washington, he said the time has come to seize the moment to make fundamental changes in the rules of the financial road.
奥巴马认为，这次的金融危机是从华尔街到华盛顿失职造成的，他说，现在到了从根本上改变金融业规则的时刻。
"It is essential that we learn the lessons of this crisis, so we do not doom ourselves to repeat it," said the president. "And make no mistake, that is exactly what will happen if we allow this moment to pass. That is an outcome that is unacceptable to me and it is unacceptable to you, the American people."
奥巴马说：“对我们来说，汲取这次金融危机的教训非常必要，那样我们才不会把自己置于第二次危机之中，才不会犯错误。而我们如果错失了良机，二次危机就难以避免。那样的后果我不会接受，你们，美国人民也不会接受。”
With many, but not all, of the most prominent executives of Wall Street firms present, the president outlined key aspects of legislation the Senate will debate in coming days.
奥巴马总统讲话时在场的很多人是华尔街金融公司著名的行政主管，他简介了参议院过几天将讨论的金融改革法案的关键内容。
These include steps to impose new oversight and controls on hedge funds and complex financial instruments known as derivatives, and protections for consumers of financial products.
其中包括，对对冲基金和复杂的金融衍生品实施新的监管和对购买金融产品的消费者提供保护的各项措施。
Of particular importance would be a system to ensure that troubled financial companies could be dismantled in an orderly way without posing the kind of systemic risk they did in 2008.
尤其重要的是，建立一套制度，确保让有问题的金融公司能够有序解体，同时又不会像这类金融公司在2008倒闭时发生的系统性风险。
Calling the Senate bill and one the House of Representatives approved last year a significant improvement over flawed rules now in place, he said changes would be advantageous for the industry and the country.
奥巴马总统称，参议院的金融改革法案和众议院去年通过的类似法案在现行的这套金融法规基础上做了重大改进。他说，对现有金融制度的改革既有利于金融业也对国家有好处。
The president took aim at the tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of financial industry lobbyists who have descended on Capitol Hill in recent weeks attempting to urge lawmakers to oppose the legislation.
奥巴马谈到了数千万美元和几百名金融业雇用的说客，这些人近几个星期来到国会，企图要求议员们反对金融改革法案。
"I am sure that some of these lobbyists work for you and they are doing what they are being paid to do. But I am here today, specifically when I speak to the titans of industry here, because I want to urge you to join us, instead of fighting us in this effort," he said.
奥巴马说：“我敢说，其中一些说客是为你们做事的，他们拿了钱就要做事。不过今天我到你们这里，具体地说，今天我到这里来劝告金融业的大人物，我想要求你们支持金融改革，而不是从中作梗。”
President Obama also directed attention to an ongoing and enormously sensitive issue for Americans - multi-million dollar salaries, bonuses and other compensation paid to industry executives.
奥巴马总统还把注意力引向一件目前仍然存在、并对美国民众来说极为敏感的问题，那就是金融业高管得到的成百上千万美元的薪酬、奖金和其它报酬。
"Some of the salaries and bonuses we have seen created perverse incentives to take reckless risks that contributed to the crisis. It is what helped lead to a relentless focus on a company's next quarter, to the detriment of its next year or decade," he said.
Critics say the Senate measure would amount to an authorization for continuing government bailouts of the financial industry.
批评人士说，参议院法案相当于授权政府继续救助金融业。
On Capitol Hill, minority Republicans have softened opposition to Senate legislation, but negotiations continue on provisions. Democrats hope for a vote by next week.
在国会，参议院占少数的共和党议员减轻了对参议院金融改革法案的反对，不过他们将继续就法案条款进行磋商。民主党议员希望下星期对法案进行表决。 |